Lyran Star Empire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lyran Star Empire | |
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| Government: | Feudal Monarchy lead by a King-Emperor |
| Capital: | Lyrantan |
| Known Species: | Lyrans, Ranel, Phelen |
| Neighboring Powers: | Hydrans, LDR, Klingons, WYN, Kzintis, (Carnivons) |
| Affiliation: | Coalition |
| Major Enemies: | Klingons (Y38-Y91), Hydrans (Y40+), Kzintis (Y48+); Carnivons (Y55-Y106); Federation (Y171-Y185); Gorns (Y174-Y185); Tholians (Y177-Y185); Andromedans (Y188-Y202) |
| Known Allies: | Klingons (c.Y100+), Romulans (Y173+), Seltorians (Y180-Y185) |
In the fictional Star Fleet Universe as represented in the range of games from Amarillo Design Bureau Inc..
The Lyrans (pernounced Lear-uhns) are a feliniod race occupying a territory bordering the Kzinti Hegemony, Klingon Empire and Hydran Kingdom. They are a aggressive race, and may well have been the leading power of the sector if it were not for their own internal politics.
Lyrans have the appearance of muscular humanoid cats strongly resembling Terran Lynxes in appearance and mannerisms. Researchers from outside of Lyran and Kzinti space believe that the two races (and the canine Carnivons) are all from a common ancestry, sometimes called the Leopard Kings. It is wise not to mention this idea to either race, if you value your physical safety.
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[edit] Government
The Lyran government is a feudal monarchy. The King-Emperor directly rules the area surrounding the capital system, while the rest of the Empire is devided among four Dukes. Each Duchy is devided into 5 counties, 4 lead by a Count reporting to the Duke, and one ruled directly by the Duke. Officially, the majority of the Lyran fleet is built, maintained and operated by the Dukes and Counts, lending their support to the Crown. As a matter of convienence, a significant number of Navy personel are conscripts from across the Empire, and only senior officers/petty officers are from the 'home' territory. Even then, each ship normally has at least a few members of other counties and duchies, officially to encourage cooperation, but unofficially to provide 'hostages' to keep the various factions from attacking each other.
The power of the King is maintained by keeping the four Dukes in a state of constant rivalry, a state echoed at the Duchy/County levels. Any gain in power by one faction will see other factions moving to balance the power, one way or another. An example of this was when the Enemy's Blood Duchy was rising in power, one of its counties revolted. The crown tacitly (and with the less tacit support of two other Dukes) allowed this county to become autonomous, weaking the powerful Duke.
[edit] History
Federation records do not record when the Lyrans first expanded from their own worlds, but know more from their contacts with their neighbors. The first star-faring race the Lyrans met was the Klingon Empire in Y38. Both took hostile action and soon all out war existed between the two nations. In Y40, while attempting to flank Klingon lines, they attack what they think is a Klingon mining colony, only to find the previously uncontacted Hydrans, starting a new war with them. By Y42, the Hydran-Lyran war was enough of a drain resulting in a armistice with the Klingons on unfavorable terms. With the war with the Klingons over, the Hydran invasion was defeated in Y43.
The Lyrans continued to try and expand around their enemies. During attempt to move around the Klingon 'northern' border, the Lyrans moved around the radioactive The WYN Cluster. The result was the Y48 contact with the Kzinti. War erupted immediately. The Lyrans received an unexpected help when the Klingons, trying the same thing to the Lyrans, encountered the Kzinti, who assumed that the two nations were working together. The war would end in Y56, only to see both nations face attacks from the newly contacted Carnivons. Carnivon forces would push forward between the two nations until they reach the WYN Cluster in Y65, starting what would be the longest period of peace between the two feline nations.
A second war with the Hydrans occurs from Y68-Y71, when new Hydran weapons began to give them the upper hand. Peace would hold out between the two races until Y84, when seeing the Hydrans being battered by invading Klingon forces, the Lyrans launch their own assault. By Y87, the Hydrans have been smashed and their Kingdom occupied. Arguments between the two conqouring powers results in the second Lyran-Klingon war in Y88. This war ends in Y91 through negotiation, partly because the Klingons are trying to turn their attentions to the newly arrived Tholians. By Y100, the Lyrans and Klingons have become strong allies.
In Y106, the Kzinti, coming out of their war with the Klingons victoriously, turn their attentions to the Carnivons. The Lyrans also launch an offensive as a co-belligerent. Within a few years, the Carnivons are wiped out of known space. The two nations celebrate by fighting their own war with each other (Y109-Y114).
Peace would reign until Y125 when the Lyrans join the Klingons in their two year old war with the Kzinti. This war would end by Y131 with no appecaible results. In Y135, the Hydrans launch an attack from the distant colonies with new ships and weapons. By Y143, they had regained all their territory.
Y145 saw the birth of a new nation. While corruption and less than stellar competence was not unusual in the feudal families, the rulers of Dark Star County (at the corner of the Lyran, Klingons and Hydrans) in the Enemy's Blood Duchy were particularly bad. Tired of their bad rulership, the top, non-'royal' ministers staged a palace coup, declaring democratic rule. Due to the strength of the Enemy's Blood at the time, the Crown tacitly allowed this continue, offering no aid to the Duke. Eventually, the fighting would escalate to include forces from other Duchies. Eventually, the Democratic Dark Star County became effectively an independent nation, becoming the Lyran Democratic Republic in Y156. While minor skirmishes and diplomatic talks continued for years, the LDR would stay independent until the Andromedan Invasion.
In Y158, a new war erupts between the Klingons and Kzinti. Immediately, the Hydrans attack the Klingons, and soon the Lyrans join the Klingons in what would be called The Four Powers War. While the war would have little effect on borders and governments, it marked the first war on that scale in the Octant. Also, as in many other wars, new technologies and tactics would be developed which would shape wars to come.
The end of the Four Powers War resulted in the Klingons and Lyrans looking at the future of their wars. It was decided that the best course of action was to eliminate one of their enemies before the other could react, so that they could turn their attention the other way. The fact that the Hydrans were isolated from allies made them the first target. Then tragedy struck, as one of the sons of the Lyran King was killed when the cruiser he was on had a run-in with a Kzinti cruiser. From that point forward, the plan was changed.
In the fall of Y168, the Lyrans strike hard in the opening blows of the Fifth Lyran-Kzinti war. The Lyrans have great success, further aided when the Klingons make their strike a few months later. They stood on the verge of conquering the Kzinti homeworld, when the Hydrans honored their their mutual defense pack, and struck at the Lyrans and Klingons. Things would have been worse, had a Hydran attempt to cut through the LDR was intercepted, alerting the Lyrans. The Hydrans would pay for their attempt, as they would fall before the combined might of the Lyrans and Klingons. Once again, the Hydrans would be pushed to the 'Lost Colonies', with the Lyrans constructing a line of Battlestations to hold the line. But, this would save the Kzinti.
By Y171, it was becoming clear that the Federation was going to take an active hand in the war. While the Lyrans were leary of the action, the Klingons would turn on the Federation in an attempt prevent the Federation from becoming strong enough to turn the tide. As a result, the Lyrans would take over more and more of the Kzinti and Hydran fronts.
As the war raged further and further east, eventually involving the Romulans on the Lyran-Klingon side, and the Gorn side, and eventually the Klingon assault on the Tholians.
By the time the General War ended in Y185, the Lyrans had not suffered much in direct attacks on their territory, but their fleet and resources had been drained by 17 years of constant warfare. When the ISC launched its pacification campaign, the Lyrans sat back and rebuilt while keeping the ISC from encroaching too close.
The Pacification campaign ended when the Andromedan Invasion smashed the ISC fleet. As every other power in the galaxy, the Lyrans were struck hard by the Andromedans. In the mist of the assault, the Andromedans saw a small power with few allies, and struck them, destroying the LDR in Y195. Eventually, the Lyrans joined with the rest of the galactic powers in Operation Unity, succeeding in Y203 in destroying the core of the Andromedan assault.
[edit] Culture
The Lyrans are a predatory, warrior culture. In general, women are equal in rights and physique, serving on many levels in society. While not as notorious as their Kzinti cousins, there have been reports that the Lyrans do occasionally eat their enemies, as in the example of a Lyran captain inviting his Klingon ally for a meal of roast Hydran.
The Lyran attitude towards other races in their territory is exemplified by the Plediane. The Plediane were a minor power who had just learned to travel beyond their system when they met the expanding Empire. Within a few years, they had been conquered and most restricted to their own world. There are some exceptions, with some of the Phelen and Ranel allowed off the world, serving under Lyran supervision, but even they are not provided the rights granted by the Klingons.
The hatred between the Lyrans and Kzinti knows few bounds. Nearly every face to face encounter between the two ends in bloodshed. But, and exception does exist. Lyrans and Kzinti in the WYN Cluster work together without noticeable problems, much to the embarrassment of both powers.
[edit] Fleet
[edit] Weapon Technology
The primary weapons of the Lyran fleet are the phaser, disruptor, and expanding sphere generator.
The phaser uses virtually the same technology as those across the Alpha Octant. Like the Klingons and Hydrans, the Lyrans do not have the best targeting gyros, meaning that a signifant number are shorter ranged, though as powerful as the longer ranged ones.
The disruptor was the standard Lyran heavy weapon. While not as powerful as some of the other nation's weapons, it was rapid firing and versatile.
The ESG was virtually unique to the Lyrans. It created a spherical field around the entire ship out to quite a distance from the ship. While it lasted only a few moments, it interacted with any physical object touching it, damaging it. This meant that it would work well as both a defensive and offensive weapon.
When the Klingons provided Romulan mauler technology to the Lyrans, they embraced it for assaulting bases.
[edit] Ship Design
For decades, the basic design of Lyran warship was the catamaran hull with two large hulls with small link in between. This held fine, as the ships were rugged with their weapons having wide arcs. But, as bigger and more powerful designs started to be deployed across the Octant, the Lyrans found a unique way to keep up. Starting with one of their destroyers, the Lyrans cut the ship in half and added a slightly smaller third hull in the middle, making a ship that was superior to their Light Cruisers. Soon, every catamaran design had a trimaran cousin that was available, while new construction would consist of both styles. One result of this was that it was not unusual in the General War to see a light cruiser be crippled on the battlefield, only to come back as a heavy battlecruiser.
[edit] Attrition Units
As armed combat shuttle (aka fighter) technology came to the fore at the end of the Four Powers War, the Lyrans were slow to adopt them. In the end, they purchased the licences for Klingon designs and utilized them. Unfortunately, the small fighters and their drone armament were not fully compatible with Lyran battle tactics and weaponry. This became obvious when the carrier Red Claw Glory accidentally decimated its own fighter squadron when it used its ESGs against incoming Kzinti drones.
In Y166, the Lyrans deployed their first attempt at a solution. The Interceptors were tiny short ranged starships, capable of operating on their own for a few days. While this design was disappointingly small, it gave birth to the Fast Patrol Ship, which would change the face of warfare, being small, but still expendable, powerful weapons.
